Why Collect Vacuums?

[caligula]

Hi Hygiene903.

Thanks for the info on the P.A. Geier Co., it was indeed the factory where the Health-Mor uprights were made. It was also the home of Royal (which was originally a non electric upright pumper in 1905), and later the Electro-Hygiene. But it was much more involved than that, because many Royal-like uprights, Bee-Vac, Cadilac, and others were made. P.A. Geier also made all the wands, hose handles, couplings, rug, bare floor, upholstry tools, and other metal parts. I understand that they also made hoses, and bags. The actual brushes were made by 'Fuller Brush' (who else?), the wooden brush rolls were made by the Cleveland wood Company (again who else?), the cords for most brands, including Kirby was The Belden Wire and Cord Company, and all instructions books were published by the donally company in Chicago. Another powerful company at the time was The Britman electric company, but my info on them is not as good as P.A. Geier.

It was nice to see the Health-Mor, I have one, as well as the Filter Queen model 200.

Thanks for the information.

Alex Taber.

 

[kirbyultimateg]

The reason I collect vacuum cleaners is because I have always been fascinated with washers/dryers/dishwashers/vacuums/shampooers since I was 5 years old. I am currently 36 years old. Mechanical things always intrigue and relax me.

 

[jfalberti]

I'm a little confused ...

I have a Royal 880 with the attachments and original service folder. In the folder is the receipt for the vacuum, and it was bought new in 1978. As a matter of fact that store is still in business today. This machine has the crystal chamber under the headlight cap. How could that be if Royal didn't include it until Electro Hygiene went out of business?

Joe

 

[KirbysNphones]

I have loved vacs since I was a kid, and, like the OP, I too collect antique telephones. (my main hobby) I have always liked mechanical stuff, phones, vacs, coin operated stuff, computers, etc. I am a geek and proud of it.

It's cool to see why others collect vacs, as up until a few years ago, I didn't realize it had such a following.

Keep up the good work everyone!

 

[midcenturyfan]

I started collecting vacuum cleaners when I decided that I needed an indoor hobby to supplement my main hobby of collecting classic cars. Vacuums are a good thing to collect because there are a huge number of different models, even from a single manufacturer, and they are reasonably inexpensive and readily available.

 

[hygiene903]

Good Question, Joe

Unfortunately I don't have an answer. I do know that my 880 Royal was built in October of 1973, and it doesn't have a crystal chamber. Here's a pic.
Jeff

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Joe, and Jeff,

I want to point out that such restrictions over that were relaxed by 1976, because I know Drake Smith (thevacuumguy96) has a Stark-branded Royal 880 dating from then and make no mistake, that one too has the crystal chamber underneath the headlight. I know, because I asked him all about and he confirms it does have the crystal chamber.

~Ben

 

[beerad]

Eureka Prince

I soo get your observation of HSP and living in a chaotic home environment! I appreciate that you put into words so perfectly what I have been experiencing since a child and have not been able to express. The vacuums clean away the Chaos in the home, calm me and is a process in beautifying. I would like to add to this something about the back-and-forth motion of vacuuming. I relate to this "motion" as being relaxing, in a trance like , when a mother rocks a baby back-and-forth in her arms. I feel that back-and-forth movement both have this same like calming quality. This makes soo much simple sense to me. I can now have compassion for my family members and friends who have teased me, laughed at me, and thought I was very "Strange" for having a love and fascination for vacuum cleaners.This is so brilliant!

I am amazed how we human beings react to something we do not understand, but know somehow we DO want to understand, as in the above.

Maybe we are searching for ways to experience, calm, love, order, and beauty also in other ways, but we just are not conscious of that.

What do you think...

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Exactly, Brad!

And, it's nice to see you posting. We've noticed your absence. Hope you've been ok.


 John

 

[eurekaprince]

Brad!!! Big hug of understanding to you from me here in central Canada..

You are very welcome - I'm so glad that my work on trying to understand the "uniqueness" (mean people would call it "weirdness") of me has helped you too. It has been an amazing relief to read Elaine Aron's book "The Highly Sensitive Person" as it really explains so much of how I react to the messy world out there. Thank you for adding the notion of the back and forth movement of the vacs as another calming feature of our favourite household appliance. This makes perfect sense to me, too!

You know, in a previous post in this thread, I mentioned the Eureka Mobile-Aire canister owned by my aunt and uncle in the 1960's back in my hometown Montreal. Apparently, when my cousin was born, her parents use to run the Eureka in her room to help her sleep!!! They claim the hum of the motor helped to lul her to sleep!!!

What is so strange about all of this is that I was initially terrified of our blue Eureka Automatic 260 upright! The design of the vac made it look like an angry monster to me: it had that single eye headlight with the metal eyebrow and the tool port cover looked like a nose! The wide mouth seemed to be ravenously swallowing up everything in its path. In an attempt to try to convince me that it would not chase me on its own, Mom tried a little experiment one day: she turned it on in the hallway in the upright storage position and opened my bedroom door behind which I had been hiding to protect myself from the crazy monster. And she tried to explain: "....you see? It won't chase you on its own...don't be afraid..." At which point, that grumbling Eureka with its scary headlight began moving forward on its own towards me!!!!! "You see!!!!!" I cried...."it IS coming after me!!!!" And I slammed the door in Mom's face! LOL! . It was at that point that someone decided to put white tape over the eyes of the Eureka so that it would look less sinister. And that seemed to reduce my feared reaction everytime she took it out of the closet to clean the carpets.

It was only with the advent of the internet and eBay that I began to see vintage ads for those Eureka uprights which actually promoted the fact that they "practically walk on their own"!!!!

So its really weird how my fear somehow was conquered and how that turned into a magnetic fascination with these domestic "conquerors of chaos."

I thank Vacuumland for giving me the opportunity to really share this fascination with like-minded cleanerphiles, and to help me come out of the vacuum cleaner closet along with others!

 

[beerad]

awsome...

this is awesome sharing

Thank you.

 

[ultimatevacman]

I think the reason I collect vacuums has something to do with my childhood.
I remember as a toddler, watching my mum vacuuming with an old argos vacuum,
and I used to have a toy one that looked just like it, and whenever she was vacuuming, I was doing the same with my toy one.

And one time, when I was a 2 years old, me and my parents went on holiday to center parcs, and there I found Henry! I used to play with it and vacuum with it, and I remember leaving and feeling really sad that I left Henry behind!
And now, at the age of 22, I have my own Henry

 

[nycwriter]

Beerad ...

... thanks for sharing!

I was also teased for my love of "sweepers" (as we call them in Western PA).

As I mentioned before, I think (for a gay man like myself at least) the fascination is a Perfect Storm of the male love of machines -- loud, shiny, and with lights -- along with an association of an appliance with our mothers.

Also for someone like myself, a love, reverence, and connection to the past with vintage machines.

And as someone else mentioned, the vacuum is a tool that brings *order* to a chaotic lifestyle. No matter how upset your world might be, the sound of Mom vacuuming when you were little meant the natural flow and order of the household was right on track.

 

[alexhoovers94]

I collect vacuums beacuse I feel sorry for them, I see them at the tip or on eBay or some other used items internet listing website and I see them in a right sorry state. They have been abused and most likely never cleaned in how ever many years and are just dumpped for a new one! So I come and "rescue" them and restore them so they can keep on going.

Perhaps that sounds witty but that is true. about the fasination for certain models and different feautres, I have no idea, we are all facinated by different things. (make of that what you please!)

I do like the way some vacuums look aswell, same reason a girl would love the look of a certain dress!

I have no idea why I really love vacuums and certain models, but there is nothing wrong with loving things that make us happy. (make of that what you please!)
Alex.

 

[ultimatevacman]

I couldn't agree more Alex well said

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I agree with it all

My entire family had HOOVERS.  I was fascinated going to each home and compiling my "list" of who had which.  I loved the sound,  seeing the bags inflate,  seeing the light,  Seeing the attachments.  I was absolutely fascinated by them all.


  When very young, my grandmother's 28 scared me... so big, brown, loud, almost sinister, compared to the others.  My aunt got me a toy HOOVER, to help me "get over my fear".  I'd say it worked!  I respect the machinery,  as well as the aesthetics.  When I was little, I rurned over our Convertible 67.  It said, The HOOVER Company, North Canton, Ohio.  I KNEW then, that one day, I would go there. The rest, is history.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The first Royal 880 metal uprights with the chemical chamber under headlight were produced around March 1974 (series letter "B" in serial number).

~Ben

 

[anthony]

its a childhood thing for me

i also remember visitng relatives and sneaking off to find there vacuum i still have my mums Hoover Senior 652a standing behind the kitchen door where its always stood since it was new back in 63 mums long gone but the hoovers still hear ,its also to do with the styling and the build quality that has always atracted me to them then theres that satisfaction you get when you get an old cleaner working after it has stood dormant for years i have no interest in modern machines at all they just leave me cold

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

There was an episode of The Brady Bunch where Alice is seen using an Electro-Hygiene 966.

~Ben

 

[danielsand]

I'll chime in, although I am NOT a collector. But,.........

I was born in 1955, and I spent my childhood in Europe. Mom was a college professor, and she didn't do much cleaning. Before WW2 her (and Dad's) family owned vast properties, servants, employees, and staff. They were officially "nobility". Dad was a part of diplomatic corps after the war, although he served "the other side" in that war. Since I was born ten years after the war, all riches, properties, servants, and staff were gone (the "nobility" was not recognized any more, for they were on the loosing side of that war!).

Mom was more interested in theater, opera, and philharmonic performances, than house cleaning. It was "beneath" her. Dad was killed in 1962, somewhere in Europe (Italy). Growing up, I was often embarrassed to bring my friends to our home. And then I started cleaning! Everything in sight. Fast forward few years, and I am in uniform (serving my country, country my parents adopted after the war), and "order and discipline" (along with cleanliness!), was an imperative.

I always loved animals (all kinds), and was surrounded with them most of my life (and animals do their part is creating mess!). So today,......I live on 140 acre horse ranch. In the main house that was built in 1880s, and I often say that I was born "too late". I don't have Facebook account, I detest Twitter, and everything else called "social media". My home is furnished, and decorated with the furniture, and appliances from the years gone by (restored, and in museum quality condition). I also have antique telephones (working), I am drinking my morning coffee right now, that my wife made in the old "dripolator" (just a few examples). I cook almost every day (gourmet meals from scratch, never anything from can, never fast food, never "prepackaged stuff", if I'm not, my wife does. We drive modern vehicles, and that is the only concession we give to the century we live in.

We were married in Tombstone, AZ in the period clothes from the time of the infamous gunfight at OK Corral (the whole wedding party), with horses, guns, and everything that goes with that period. This is who we are,.....people born too late!

Since I've been cleaning almost my whole life, I was naturally interested in the "best performing" vacuum for the job. But not just "the best" (most of the name brands are pretty equal in performance). It also had to have the "looks" (artfully designed machine with the appeal of the years gone by), "sound", and "quality" (no plastic, which I detest!). And then I "discovered" Kirby! (just a little over a month ago now, so I am definitely not one of you! LOL)

And now I have four of them, and it will probably be enough for me. There are six horses, four dogs, three cats, five cars, three motorcycles, countless guns.......(guess you see where I'm going with this?) in this household, and ONE of me. I don't have time left in a day, to take care off all of it. Accumulating things without giving them proper care/maintenance/love/attention is not how I live. But regardless of how hectic my day is (and you can imagine, vets, farriers, trees that need to be trimmed, animals to be fed on schedule....I also cook for my dogs!), .....I need to find the time to vacuum my house. The whole house. Daily. Wife says (jokingly) that I'm sick, but very few things calm me down such as freshly vacuumed house. And I vacuum later in the day (not in the morning), before I start cooking. Wife works full time, and by the time she gets home, house is clean, dinner is on the stove, fire is roaring in the fireplace, and we sit next to it, enjoy a cocktail, and share the stories about the day gone by. Dogs are at our feet, horses are prancing right outside the window, and our little world is PERFECT!

There are wars out there (and I did my part in three of them), there are gangs and drugs (just down the mountain), and terrorist attacks all over the world. We read about it, we sympathize, and we get on our horses, and ride into the wilderness. We cook in the cast iron on the open fire. We practice with our guns. And try to live in times when this country still had a meaning (if you know what I mean?). And that's it.